The more you choose to pedal and the lower the level of assistance selected, the more range you can expect and you can always take a spare battery with you for longer rides.

The secret to UrbanX's small size is that it works smarter, not harder by using an algorithm to ensure 100% of motor output is utilized to power your ride.

With the UrbanX eBike battery and motor working smarter, we can minimize size and increase range.

By using our patent-pending Sinus Algorithm Controlling System to convert electric energy that's stored in the battery to kinetic energy from the motion of your wheel, UrbanX is able to minimize energy loss, increase output and ultimately extend the riding range of your battery.

Additionally, the 36V, 3500mAh & 126Wh lithium ion battery pack is rated at 125Wh and meets the International Aviation Transportation Association requirements allowing it onboard flights should you travel.

The fully-electric bike thumb throttle makes it easy to cruise along at up to 20 MPH with the push of a button and no pedaling required.

The handlebar thumb throttle is optional and the only part connecting to your bicycle. If you choose to only want a pedal assist only bicycle and not full electric, you have the option to not instal the throttle.

UrbanX is intelligently designed so not to affect your bicycles performance by adding a tremendous amount of extra weight.

You'll hardly even notice its there...but you'll be glad it is.

By using aircraft grade aluminum we can achieve maximum strength and durability while making it the lightest weight eBike option with a total weight of 15lbs which include: motor, battery, spokes, rim & tire.

Our founder Eric has 7 years of experience in the traditional Electric Bike Trading and has served customers from all around the world. In that time, he leant that each customer has their own unique idea of the perfect E-bike design. Most cyclists have their own favorite bikes lying at home. Eric decided to develop a kit that could make full use of customer’s own bikes and electrify them without sacrificing any functionality. An electric wheel saves customers money, saves our business on shipping and handling costs, and saves valuable resources and energy for our planet by cutting down on commuters in cars and other fossil fuel-based transportation.

Motor hubs from our trial production run

The Copenhagen Wheel was a great inspiration for Eric. But the complicated rear-wheel installation and limited compatibility drove him to develop a similar electric wheel that is universal for any bike, more capable, and less difficult to install.

Eric teamed up with Aberdeen, an experienced industrial designer in the bicycle industry, to officially start the UrbanX project in 2014. After 2 years of effort and numerous prototypes, We launched our version 1.0 in China.

We named the product iMortor, and it was a good start, but was limited in ability. The wheel could only be controlled via a throttle, and was only available in 26" sizing. The sensors in the wheel were not particularly advanced, and the battery was not as efficient as it could be. Finally, the wheel weighed 18 pounds. We knew we still had work to do, and we wanted to build a version that would be street legal world wide.

CAD drawings of our V2 model

We listened to our customers and continued to iterate. Our most significant iteration was that we developed pedal assist functionality across our model range. We developed a more powerful 350W version of our motor. We increased the available sizes from one to six. And even with the added pedal assist functionality, we managed to shave weight and drop to 15 lbs total. We added additional sensors to measure speed and control the wheel, and we developed a new algorithm to increase battery efficiency. The result was our version 2.0, the UrbanX, and it was ready to go global - so we turned to crowdfunding.

Completed wheels from our trial production run

Our first prototype

Above, you'll find our very first prototype, which was the stepping stone to our final design.

A later, fully functional prototype

A more fleshed out and finalized prototype, on which both the iMortor and the UrbanX is based. The iMortor could only be controlled via a throttle. It was exclusively available in 26" sizing, and it weighed 18 lbs. For UrbanX, we added an entirely new, 350W motor option. We added and improved sensors for speed, motor braking, and pedal assist functionality. We increased available sizes to 6, and we reduced weight to 15 lbs. We developed our Sinus Algorithm Controlling System to improve battery efficiency, and limited speeds to road legal speeds for global regulations.

An image depicting the difference in the electronic controllers for V1 vs V2. We added new sensors and functionalities to the V2, UrbanX, requiring a more complex controller.

A cutaway CAD image of the UrbanX

A CAD image of our battery

For a peek behind the scenes, check out the video below of the assembly and testing process of our V1, the iMortor:

You'll need an HTML5 capable browser to see this content.

Replay with sound

Play with sound

00:00

00:00

Almost every person to whom we introduced our Smart Wheel idea liked it much more than buying a traditional E-bike. To achieve our mission of getting more people enjoy the fun and convenience of E-bikes while saving resources of the planet, our biggest stumbling block is spreading the word about our product. Crowdfunding is the most effective way of getting the word out.

Risks and challenges

With our experience in the E-bike and automotive industries, and our experiences in the mass production of version 1.0, our supply chain is well established.

We greatly appreciate the vote of confidence and trust our backers have put in us and in our project. We are working hard to avoid issues and have been planning a contingency strategy to get the products to the backers and fulfill our goal of getting more people riding bikes in a smarter way. Our combined experience and a network of resources will allow us to quickly react to any unexpected issues.